Predation
by Oasis Blackmore
Summary: It was hardly worth the drama, in Ryan’s opinion. Oneshot. Slash. Barely M.


**A/N: I dedicate this to an acquaintance of mine for her MySpace bulletin, in which she wrote, "that's [comparable] to a guy who goes and purposely grabs another guy's dick but says he likes girls." Inspiration much? This takes place sometime before HSM2. Enjoy.**

Predation

One _little_ make out backstage was really nothing to get worked up about. It was hardly worth the drama, in Ryan's opinion, and the rumors, hatred, and all-out denial were completely unnecessary. One make out was nothing, unless you were Chad Danforth and your kissing partner was none other than Ryan Evans.

The night of the errant incident, Ryan really didn't expect to see Chad at all, let alone walking on the set of the upcoming musical. He spotted the afroed jock standing next to a paper machete camel, looking around like he was waiting for someone. Being that he was the only person who ever stayed this late in the evening, Ryan thought there was a good chance that person was him. Under normal circumstances, he would have played coy, but the incredibly built basketball player had sought him out; this was hardly normal.

Chad jumped when the drama nerd snuck up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder, his mouth whispering closely into his ear, "Come here often?"

"Whoa, dude! Back off," Chad warned, taking a step away from the prop with which he'd been fiddling.

Satisfied with flustering the poor kid, Ryan folded his arms and lifted his chin, asking in a somewhat entitled manner, "What're you doing here?"

Chad was a deer, a deer about to be massacred by an SUV. "I just . . . Someone said Troy would be here tonight, but, uh--"

Ryan allowed his mouth to curve pleasantly as he leaned against a nearby backdrop. "Troy's not here, but I think it's very cute that you want to help him blossom into a Broadway star."

"I don't--That's not why I'm here." It was inexplicable, the way Chad's eyes darted around frantically, as if searching for an escape from the boy in front of him--_unless_ . . .

"You can calm down, you know. I'm not gonna jump you if you don't ask for it."

Chad's eyes grew even wider, and he croaked, "What?"

"That whole Troy story, it was a lie; right? 'Cause even if Troy had been rehearsing tonight, and he _wasn't_, nobody stays this late but me. So, what is it? Why are you here?"

Chad furrowed his brow. "Troy . . ."

Pushing himself off the backdrop, Ryan took a slow step forward, causing the other boy to take a hasty step back. "You're cute when you're confused."

"I'm . . . what?" Chad was really panicking now. "Man, I don't know what makes you think I--Troy was supposed to be practicing tonight, at nine-thirty, here. The guys said so."

Ryan stopped his pursuit, blinking in surprise. "'The guys'? As in your _teammates_, the guys?"

"Uh, yeah. So, if Troy's not--"

Chad was interrupted by Ryan's burst of laughter. "Boy, you must have been really freaking them out in the locker room to get sent to _me_!"

Chad laughed nervously. "Uh . . . I don't get it. What's the joke?"

"Listen, I'm not gonna make you do anything you don't want to do."

At Ryan's sudden predatory leer, Chad turned to run, but found that he was cornered. "E-Evans, this isn't funny."

Miraculously having dodged the SUV, the deer was now trapped by a mountain lion. Oh, the irony.

Ryan was already within touching distance, and touch he did, placing one hand on Chad's shoulder and looking directly into his eyes. "If you're not comfortable, just say so--"

"I'm not--"

"Shh." Ryan placed a confident finger on Chad's lips, bringing his body slightly closer. "Why was seeing Troy so important?" Chad's pupils dilated as Ryan's finger traced its way across his mouth and down to his jaw. "Hmm?"

"They set me up?" Chad asked huskily as his friends' betrayal dawned on him.

"Indeed," Ryan affirmed before one graceful move brought him lip-to-lip with the other boy, who squirmed under the attack, his hands moving to Ryan's chest to push him away. Ryan's tongue darting out to graze Chad's mouth caused those hands to clench around the fabric of his shirt and tug Ryan impossibly nearer. At the unconscious surrender, Ryan's lips curved into a grin.

Chad could say whatever he wanted, but as he pressed himself up against the other boy, eyes squeezed shut, one part of his anatomy was screaming the truth. He frantically responded to Ryan's kisses, not sure where to put his hands or what to do about the heat swirling below his belt.

Ryan took control then, acknowledging Chad's desperation with the fingers he ran over the swelling in his jeans. A tiny groan came from the back of Chad's throat, and Ryan pulled away, teasing his prey with an innocent smile.

Chad hesitantly opened his eyes, chest heaving as his vision focused on the boy in front of him. "Troy was never here," he stated quietly, as if ashamed.

"No. Troy has Gabriella." Ryan reached out a sympathetic hand placed it on Chad's burning cheek. "But this can be fun, too." And he swooped back in, not really caring if he was taking advantage of his obviously confused classmate.

Really though, it should have deterred him, because even when the closeted ones went so far as to kiss and bite and stroke, they never really accepted it. Chad was no different; as soon as he'd gotten what he'd come for, he'd scurried away with his tail between his legs, running home to lick his wounds and wonder at his escape from the predator he had encountered. And when he saw Ryan the next day, he didn't make eye contact, and he didn't stop to apologize, and he didn't even bother to keep from telling the anticipated lies. But he did steer clear, and he was aware of the rapid beating of his heart whenever Ryan was near, because he knew that one more collision could kill his last shred of resistance.

**A/N: I can't decide how I see Ryan when he's with Chad. Either I want him shy and in love, or I want him pushy and in lust. Obviously, this fic is the latter. Review if you like.**


End file.
